Consistency. Endurance. Speed. Taking 1st place in the 4400 Unlimited class, 1st place in the 4500 Modified Stock class, and 3rd place in the 4600 Stock class, LetzRoll Offroad Racing wins big at Congress: 3 Cars, 3 Classes, 3 Podiums in the Dirt Riot season opener. Following up 3 top 10 finishes at KOH, 2014 is off to a very strong start for the LetzRoll Offroad Racing / ESAB Cutting & Welding race team.
Now back to back winners of this event, the ESAB Cutting & Welding / Yukon Gear and Axle 4493, driven by Andrew McLaughlin and Matt Salyers, once again prevailed on their home turf. Located just an hour outside of Phoenix, Arizona, the town of Congress is a combination of all that we love: rocks, speed, dirt, and horsepower. Sporting a new motor from Pacific Fabrication and upgraded shocks from ADS Off-road Racing Shocks, the 4493 was blazing fast and took the lead early in the race, never to give it up. “Dirt Riot set us up for a great start to the season. After coming off top 10 KOH, we went through the entire car to get ready for this race,” said Andrew. “We made a few mistakes in qualifying which put us towards the back, but we had everyone ran down in the first few laps. We built a big enough lead that we could start to relax and save the car towards the end of the race. The 4493 worked perfectly and we can’t wait for round two in Tucson.”
Pulling double duty by racing his 4600-class car in the morning and serving as co-driver and navigator for the 4400 class car, Matt Salyers had a long, but rewarding day. “I splashed down water and grabbed a bite as I put back on my safety gear and got into the 4493 buggy. We rolled up to the start line, said a few words followed by “GET IT”, when the green flag fell and off we went chasing the dust of the competition in front of us. Andrew drove the car flawlessly while I occasionally called out turns and hazards. The first 5 to 6 laps were intense. The course was still the same from my race a mere half hour earlier so when we were completely blinded from dust, I was able to safely guide Andrew and the car through the course, while still letting the strong and powerful Pacific Fabrication motor sing. We maintained our lead with zero issues and no pit stops and kept cruising till we secured the checkered flag. I want to say thank you to Andrew, as that was more fun than any ride at an amusement park. Thanks for the opportunity!”
Also defending a 2013 1st place finish, the ESAB Welding & Cutting / Pit Bull Tires 4511 of Alan Johnson and Mike Bradley defended their title, brining home the 1st place finish in the 4500 Modified Stock class. Sporting new Raceline Wheels wrapped in trusted and proven Pit Bull Rocker radials, the 4511 avoided tire and rim issues that bit other teams. With the confidence and speed gained by switching to ADS Off-road Racing Shocks, Alan and Mike ran a steady, consistent race from start to finish. “This is called ‘Endurance Racing’ for a reason. Finding the balance between ‘sheening’ and keeping the car together is often what results in the win vs DNF and has certainly contributed to our back-to-back Dirt Riot national championships. The team at LetzRoll Offroad has build such a strong and reliable car, that I can drive my race with confidence,” said Alan. “Mike Bradley called a great race and our lap times were all within roughly 30 seconds of each other… over a 5 mile course of rocks, dirt, hills, and sand. ‘You have to finish to win’ is the first priority, but going fast and having a blast are the best. I love Dirt Riot. So much fun.”
Improving upon last year’s performance, Stock class driver Matt Salyers and Robert Esparza – the father / son team in the 4634 ESAB Welding & Cutting / Yukon Gear and Axle car – delivered a third podium finish for the team, finishing 3rd in class. “My dad and I were racing our race and off in the Arizona desert we went. The rock Section was fun for both driver and spectators as it gave us a challenge and a show for those looking on. We were running a great race with very quick lap times compared to last year and that is due to our ADS Off-road Racing Shocks,” said Matt when describing the race. “Coming into our 4th lap with zero issues we entered the rock section and that is where our day ended when an ball joint let go causing our knuckle to lay in the dirt for a nap. We caused a mess. So, doing the only thing that made sense, I got out and began spotting cars up around us on alternate lines to keep the race moving. After the dust settled and the jeep pulled back, we still ended up with a 3rd place finish. Thanks to my sponsors but more importantly to my Dad for being such a pivotal instrument in my racing program. Thank you for getting in the car with me and having fun, as that’s what it is all about - even when breaks take us out. Spending time with my Dad, Robert Esparza, is what I enjoy most about racing”
LetzRoll Offroad Racing is a Mesa, Arizona based race team, competing in the Ultra4 Racing and Dirt Riot series in the US and Mexico, as well as the Ultra4 Europe series with our UK team, based in Wales. With back-to-back national Dirt Riot titles, multiple regional titles, consistent podium finishes, Top 10 King of the Hammers finishes in all three classes, back to back top 10 King of the Valleys finishes, and 4 cars in 3 classes on 2 continents, LetzRoll Offroad Racing loves what they do. Andrew McLaughlin is the owner and operator of LetzRoll Offroad and www.letzrolloffroad.com. LetzRoll Offroad Racing is surrounded by excellence with our racing partners. We would like to thank them for their support and quality products that help put us on the podium, as a team, race after race after race: ESAB Welding & Cutting, Yukon Gear and Axle, ADS Off-Road Racing Shocks, Spyder Auto, Ballistic Fabrication, Raceline Wheels, Goodyear Tires, The Tire Ball Company, Solid Axle Industries, Pacific Fabrication, TechwearUSA, and Certified Inspection Service.
